Iceland U21 played host to France U21 in the UEFA Under-21 Championship qualifiers, Group Stage - 19, on Thursday evening. The match ended 1:1, a result that keeps both sides within touching distance of the top of the table. France remain first with 16 points from six games, while Iceland sit third on 11 points after seven matches.
And here's the thing — the opening goal came quickly. M. Tel put Iceland ahead in the 31st minute, and to be fair, the visitors looked rattled. H. Thorhallsson picked up a yellow card just before the break, followed by D. F. Kristjansson in the 44th minute. Iceland had the early advantage and thought they might hold on.
By then, however, France had found their rhythm. D. T. Gudjohnsen equalised in the 52nd minute, and the game opened up from there. The hosts made changes, bringing on H. Ingason and A. Cosic in the 64th minute, while France responded with three substitutions in quick succession — S. Bouabre, J. Bahoya and V. Atangana all came on in the 67th minute.
J. Juliusson received a yellow card in the 70th minute, and Iceland continued to search for a winner. V. Dadason and E. Gudmundsson were brought on for Iceland in the 78th minute, and H. Thorhallsson was eventually replaced in the 83rd. M. Tel, the goalscorer, was substituted in the 87th minute — he had given Iceland the lead but could not see his side through to victory.
The statistics tell a story of a match decided by moments rather than dominance. Iceland had seven games under their belt already, while France had one fewer fixture, yet both sides showed they could compete. The result means France extend their unbeaten run and maintain their position at the top, while Iceland remain in contention despite the draw.
